Drip catcher and deflector



L.F- WRIGHT DRIP CATCHER AND DEFLECTOR 1 Oct. Z1969" Filed Dec. 6, 1967 Egg. 2.

INVENTOR.

I LELHND E WRIHT BY /wM /M f'y y I/forne s United States Patent 3,471,060 DRIP CATCHER AND DEFLECTOR Leland F. Wright, 7635 Sentinel Trail, Indianapolis, Ind. 46250 Filed Dec. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 688,582 Int. Cl. B67d 1/16 U.S. Cl. 222108 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A drip catcher and deflector for bath tub faucets and the like having a deflecting member formed of absorbent and resilient material, such as synthetic sponge, and a strap for mounting the deflecting member to the faucet so that a portion of the deflecting member extends laterally under the outlet of the faucet and acts to catch any drip from the faucet and deflect it so that it falls within the drain oulet of the tub rather than running down a portion of the tub wall where it may deposit dissolved minerals causing staining.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The field of the invention is generally bath tubs, and more particularly, drip catching and deflecting devices for bath tub faucets.

Description of the prior art Faucet drips have been the object of much concern for many years, and many improvements in valves and valve seats have been made that greatly reduce the amount of dripping. However, it has long been recognized that in certain types of faucets, dripping is practically impossible to eliminate. For example, in the combination tub faucet and shower fixture the tub faucet may drip for several minutes after the shower is used. This is because after using the shower there is always a residue of water in the shower pipe that adheres to the wall of the shower pipe, and very slowly runs down the shower pipe to the tub faucet. In addition to any minerals already dissolved in the water, the conditions in the shower pipe after the shower is turned off encourage rusting of the inside of the shower pipe, and the dissolving of iron oxide in the water.

In most bath tubs, the outlet of the tub faucet is not located directly over the tub drain outlet. Therefore, as the residue of water drips out of the shower pipe, it strikes the side or bottom of the tub. The evaporation of water around the edges of the wetted portion of the tub surface leaves behind an unsightly deposit of iron and other minerals, causing staining of the tub.

Several structures have been invention to cope with the bath tub faucet drip problem. Among these is the structure described in Crosbie, Re. 19,771, wherein the drip is diverted to flow into the over-flow drain of the bath tub. In a remotely associated application, the patents to Mrozek 1,654,185 and Grodde 2,506,211 show how sponge type material may be used to absorb the drip from the spouts of coffee pots and tea pots.

The Crosbie device is somewhat limited in its applica-- tion to bath tubs having an over-flow drain suitable for receiving the drip cup. In addition, it is comparatively expensive, and may require the services of one skilled in the art of plumbing for its installation.

What is needed is a simple, inexpensive device that not only diverts or deflects the drip into the bath tub drain so that it will not cause staining of the tub, and does so without requiring manual placement of adjustment each time the tub is used.

The drip catcher and deflector of the present invention provides these features, and in addition, acts to catch and Patented Oct. 7, 1969 "ice SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A resilient and absorbent deflector member held so that a portion of it extends beneath the outlet of a bath tub faucet so that it deflects faucet drips into the bath tub drain outlet rather than on the porcelain, the deflection member being held in place by a flexible strap about the deflector member and the tub faucet.

Because the deflector member is resilient, it need not be removed to draw Water from the faucet, but rather is pushed aside by the force of the water coming out of the faucet. When the water is turned off, the deflector member returns to its normal position, where it acts to direct drips over the bath tub drain.

The device of the present invention is quite simple in its structure and operation and does not require a person skilled in the art of plumbing to install or remove it. It can easily be manufactured from inexpensive components, and sold at a relatively low price. The deflector member of the device is preferably quite porous and absorbent, providing a large amount of evaporation surface. Therefore, in addition to deflecting a rapid flow of drips into the bath tub drain, the device of the present invention will absorb and evaporate a small drip flow, thereby entirely preventing any drip from reaching the bath tub or the drain.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved low cost bath tub drip catcher and deflector.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a drip catcher and deflector that is simple in structure and which can easily be formed of inexpensive materials.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a drip catcher and deflector that is long lived and trouble free, and requires no manual adjustment or repositioning to draw water from the faucet upon which it is mounted.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the appended claims and enclosed drawings.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the drip catcher and deflector of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic side view showing the drip catcher and deflector of the present invention mounted on a bath tub faucet.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the strap which may be used to mount the deflector member to the faucet.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 'a perspective view of the drip catcher and deflector of the present invention, indicated generally at 11. There are two main elements of the drip catcher and deflector 11, namely a resilient and absorbent deflecting member 12 and a means for mounting the deflecting member 12, such as the strap 13.

The deflecting member 12 may be formed of natural sponge, but is preferably formed of synthetic sponge material, such as foamed cellulose. Natural sponge tends to become rather stiff when dry and limp when wet. The synthetic material, although it also tends to become rather stifl when dry, maintains a high degree of resilience when wet. As will be described below, it is preferable that the deflector member 12 maintain a fair degree of resilience when wet.

As shown in FIG. 1, the deflecting member 12 has a first surface 16 and a second surface 17, each of which is generally cylindrical. The first surface 16 is generally concave while the second surface 17 is generally convex. Both surfaces are generally coaxial, the radius of the second surface 17 being larger than the radius of the first surface 16.

The deflecting member 12 has a proximal portion 18 and a distal portion 19. The mounting means supports the deflecting member 12 at the proximal portion 18 so that the distal portion 19 extends beneath the outlet of a faucet 21 of a tub 22, as best shown in FIG. 2.

The strap 13, as shown in FIG. 1, is generally elongated and flat. It has a tab 23 on one end. The tab 23 is adapted to be received in one of a plurality of holes 24 spaced along the strap 13. The tab 23 may be inwardly directed, as shown in FIG. 1, or alternatively, may be outwardly directed, as shown in FIG. 3.

In use, the deflecting member 12 is placed with the proximal portion 18 under the neck of the faucet 21 and the distal portion 19 extending beneath the outlet of the faucet 21 so that the end of the deflecting member 12 is located above the drain outlet of the tube 22. The strap 13 is placed about both the proximal portion 13 and the neck of the faucet 21 as shown in FIG. 2, and the tab 23 inserted into one of the plurality of holes 24 to snugly hold the deflecting member 12 to the faucet 21.

It should be noted that the deflecting member 12 need not be generally cylindrical in its unmounted condition, but instead may be generally rectangular, the cylindrical shape being imparted to it by mounting it to the faucet 21 by means of the strap 13. It is preferable that the deflecting member 12 have a generally cylindrical shape when it is mounted, however, to increase its tendency to remain in place beneath the outlet of the faucet 21.

With the drip catcher and deflector 11 in place, as shown in FIG. 2, any drip from the faucet 21 will fall upon the deflecting member 12. If the drip rate is relatively high, the water will saturate the deflecting member 12 and will drip from the end of the deflecting member that is positioned above the drain outlet of the tub. Thus, the drips will be deflected so that instead of impinging on the porcelain portion of the tub, they will be directed into the tub drain outlet, thereby preventing staining of the tub porcelain caused by mineral deposition from dripping Water.

If the drip rate is low, it is quite likely that because of the very large surface area of the deflecting member 12, the dripping water will be evaporated from the deflecting member and not reach the tub drain outlet.

When it is desired to run water from the faucet 21, the drip catcher and deflector of the present invention need not be repositioned or adjusted. Instead, the stream of water from the faucet outlet will merely push the deflecting member 12 aside, and hardly be affected by its presence. When the water is turned off, the deflecting member 12 resiliently returns to its place beneath the outlet of the faucet to function as described above.

Although the deflecting member 12, when formed of natural or synthetic sponge, becomes rather stiff when dry, this presents no problem because the water from the faucet quickly wets the sponge making it flexible. Also, if the drip catcher and deflector is installed on a drippy faucet, it is quite likely that the deflecting member 12 is wet most of the time anyway, and therefore seldom stiff.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides an improved drip catcher and deflector for use with bath tub faucets and the like that is low in cost, being easily formed of readily available inexpensive materials. It is long lived and trouble free, requiring no manual adjustment or repositioning to draw water from the faucet on which it is mounted.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected. For example, tie cords 26 may be laced through the holes 24 and through the proximal portion 18 of the deflecting member 12 to fasten the deflecting member 12 to the strap 13. Or, alternatively, the deflecting member 12 may be fastened to the strap 13 by other means, such as by epoxy cement. Although it is not absolutely necessary that the deflecting member 12 be fastened to the strap 13, it does increase the ease with which the drip catcher and deflector is mounted on v a tub faucet.

What is claimed is:

1. A drip catcher and deflector for a bath tub faucet and the like comprising:

a resilient and absorbent deflecting member formed from a synthetic sponge material for placement beneath the outlet of said faucet and extending beyond the outlet of said faucet in a plane which is at right angles to the axis of said outlet and mounting means for mounting said deflecting member to said faucet.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said deflecting member has a first surface that is generally concave cylindrical about a first radius and has a second surface that is generally convex cylindrical about a second radius larger than said first radius, said first and second surfaces being generally coaxial.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said mounting means includes a flexible strap adapted to encircle said faucet and the proximal portion of said deflecting member.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein said mounting means further comprises a strap having a tab on one end, there being a plurality of holes spaced along said strap and adapted to receive said tab.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,094,889 10/ 1937 Hooper 285--8 2,289,889 7/1942 Stick et a1 239-524 X 2,650,838 9/1953 Hirschland 2858 3,003,666 10/1961 Stone 222-108 X FOREIGN PATENTS 977,757 12/ 1964 Great Britain.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner NORMAN L. STACK, JR., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 239-524 

